The father of an 18-year-old girl who tragically passed away during a Carnival cruise was unavailable when summoned for a custody hearing. Christopher Kepner, the father of Anna Kepner, was found dead in his cabin on November 7 while on a family vacation with relatives.
After being ordered to testify at a hearing on December 5 in Brevard County, Christopher could not be located, according to a process server’s affidavit filed before an upcoming custody hearing scheduled for Friday.
The process server, Leslie V. Kinsey, reported that she tried to serve the subpoena at Kepner’s home in Titusville. Despite the lights being on and the SUV parked in the driveway, no one answered after she knocked multiple times and rang the doorbell. She noticed “no trespassing” signs posted and eventually placed the documents on the windshield of the SUV when she received no response.
Upon her return, the SUV was gone, and the citation had disappeared.
Authorities have not publicly named any suspects in Anna’s death, although it was ruled a homicide due to mechanical asphyxiation. Complications arise from a family court battle involving Christopher’s wife, Shawntel, and her ex-husband, who has raised concerns about the children’s well-being. Moreover, reports have indicated that Christopher’s 16-year-old son is under investigation by the FBI in connection with Anna’s death.
Anna was sharing a room with her two brothers-in-law at the time of her death. Following the incident, Hudson, Shawntel’s ex-husband, petitioned the court for custody of their son, citing that Anna’s parenting was endangering her son’s future.
Christopher Kepner has not commented on the efforts to reach him.
